I confess. I listen to The Dennis Miller Show. And, I like it. Today, he was asking his listeners if they thought Sarah Palin was the best the Republicans could do. He was respectful. I had appointments and had to stop listening before callers could respond to his introduction.
I have always considered Miller to be among America's brightest stand-ups. He was, in my opinion, a wonderful addition to Monday Night Football, and his radio show is usuallly a hoot, with a long string of his comedian friends joining a similarly long string of political figures. And, Miller usually makes sense. He's pretty far to the right, but stops short of having hissy fits over gay marriage and abortion.
So I was a bit surprised that he would devote a significant part of his show to Sarah Palin and trying to find out what people think of her. She has made a difference in several Republican races where Tea Party candidates have been successful. And, perhaps that is her best function.
Miller likes to say he likes the cut of people's jib. And he likes Palin. And, he said he would vote for Palin over Obama, and so quite frankly, would I. It would be my hope that she would be able to surround herself with extraordinary people who could help her bring us out of the mess in which we now find ourselves. I don't think Obama is interested in listening to anyone or anything but his own voice.
But Palin is not presidential material. The Republicans can find someone better, who can win. And I don't believe Palin can win. The fact is she's too ordinary. And the last "ordinary" president was Jimmy Carter, and he was a disaster. If Republicans hope to win the White House, they must find some one extraordinary, because if Obama is nothing else, he is extraordinary.
I don't believe it is out of the realm of possibility that Obama could lose in a primary, probably to Hilary Clinton, whom I believe would have done a better job.
But Palin is no Obama. She's not up for a race against H. Clinton. Republicans must find someone better.
7 comments:
Where do you place Thune?
Thad,
I, like many South Dakotans, believe John Thune is an excellent senator for South Dakota.
He's smart, articulate and quick on his feet. I certainly think he's a better choice than Palin for a Republican presidential candidate.
He's certainly being groomed by the Republican Party for higher office.
John Kennedy and Barack Obama are the only two people in my lifetime to ascend to the presidency directly from the Senate.
I think he'll be a VP candidate first.
Calling Jimmy Carter "a disaster" is disingenuous, if not completely wrong, Mike.
As president, Carter created two new cabinet-level departments: the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. He established a national energy policy that included conservation, price control, and new technology. In foreign affairs, Carter pursued the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties, the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II), and returned the Panama Canal Zone to Panama and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.
Thune is a Koch Brothers' tool and will be lucky not to get caught with a live boy or a dead girl.
A faux-pious numbskull who helped kill a revision to Don't Ask-Don't Tell and who believes sick, disabled and dying people should shut up about a harmless but effective herb and eat some Valium, John Thune is, indeed, an "excellent senator for South Dakota."
You know . . . it's interesting.
Social issues aside, when one just focuses on the economics of our situation . . . one has to wonder: How many freakin decades does the working class of this country have to wait for "trickle-down economics" to work?
More interesting, why do workers continue to vote for politicos that will surely screw them - politicos like Thune. A fresh face for the corporatist society.
Bush's government shouted "job creation" when it instituted the tax cuts ten years ago . . . how long do we have to wait for the jobs?
An honest question.
Lot of rich folks got a lot richer during that time though - ain't 'Merica great?
Larry,
You did Michael a nice favor by listing Carter's failures for him.
You did forget Carter's biggest accomplishments; deregulating the airline & trucking industries and relaxing regulations on beer brewing, paving the way for all of the fine, tasty micro-brews that we are able to enjoy today.
Chris Christie 2012!
When I said "biggest", I meant "actual",
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